In latter half of the fifteenth century, Guru Nanak intensely scanned the national scenario. He observed people killing each other in the name of religion (Hindu-Muslim), fighting on the basis of caste (high caste Brahmins-low caste Harijans) and hating on account of dirty politics. He contemplated deeply and gave out his core message "Unity and Equality for All". He proclaimed fearlessly that all are God's creation and are entitled to equal love and respect.
To fortify this teaching, the successive gurus (spiritual prophets) established common kitchen (langar) where food cooked by a person of any caste/religion was partaken by persons professing different faiths; they ordained "sitting-together" (pangat) of high and low during all socio-religious functions; they constructed water tanks (sarovars) where all could bathe together thus drowning their separateness; Guru Arjan Dev (the fifth in line), whose martyrdom falls today, furthermore bestowed a common place of worship ( a wonder of Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar) and a unified religious book (Guru Granth Sahib) that is adorned with hymns of Hindu and Muslim saints as also of Sikh Gurus. His thrust 'Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Mankind' ( ek peta eks ke ham barak) reached far and wide and generated a strong wave that swept away conflict-ridden barricades. All these efforts brought people together in warm embrace. They came closer to fight internal and external oppressions of all sorts in a spirit of courage and fearlessness. Such a growing milieu was an anathema to alien rulers.
In such a piquant situation, they all resort to the time-tested formula of 'Divide and Rule.' And use locals for such destructive designs. For that reason, the then cruel Moghul Emperor, Jehangir, instigated local faithfuls to report against the Sikh Guru. In furtherance of this nefarious plan, the Guru's elder brother, Prithi Chand, accused that he was by-passed in the grant of the gur-gaddi; he also alleged that the Guru compiled a holy book that incorporated disparaging references to Islam; Chandu, another local, charged that the Guru disgraced him by refusing his daughter's hand for his (Guru's) son; a relative indicted the Guru for a Hindu Saint's death; and several persons were made to complain that the Guru blessed the rebel prince Khusro (who had revolted against his brother's oppressive rule). On the basis of this orchestrated falsehood, Jehangir arrested him, issued death warrant against him and cleverly fled to Delhi, leaving the accused Guru to the local despots. They forced the Guru to sit on a red hot iron plate, poured burning sand on his head, immersed his bare body in a pot of boiling sizzling water and finally flung his half-burnt half-dead body in the river Ravi at Lahore. Thus an Apostle of Peace was sacrificed at the Altar of Satanic Forces.
The Guru suffered inhuman tortures to reaffirm the central gospel of Sikhism – Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Mankind. On his 400th Martyrdom Day, let us all pledge to break man-made barriers of religion, caste, colour or creed of whatever hues and determinedly usher in an era of Unity, Equality and Prosperity.